47 travelers at this place:

Not far from Yeovil are four National Trust properties so there is a bit to see.
In regards to Yeovil even the staff in the hotel keeping saying, “Why would you want to go into Yeovil?”
Who are we to argue with local knowledge.

Almost every town has a memorable church, castle, ruin or memorial .

Still looking for Yeovil’s.

Lyte family owned the Lytes Cary Manor for 500 years until they got into financial strife the 1700s. It went a bit of a ruin for 150 years until Sir Walter and Lady Flora Jenning bought the place in 1907,because everyone needs a project.
They spent a few pounds on restoring it and the gardens which they did in the Arts and Crafts style.
The Chapel attached to the house was built in 1348 replacing an early one! It’s good to have a Chapel.
Very, very nice.Read more

The trouble with staying in rural Dorset is that you are in rural Dorset.

The Fox was a good price in a picturesque rural setting with absolutely shitty roads in and out.

The road rules are:
Tractors win, you move for them, they just keep going,
All Audis are driven by women with a death wish and focussed vision
Any blind corner will have a white van in the middle of the road
Semi drivers are knights of the road and very patient with obvious tourists

It was miles and miles of 0.5 lane hedged lanes, tractors, cars, JOGGERS and of course white vans.

Having asked for best way out of Ansty and the way to Yeovil,the barman's reply was "I don't really really know north Dorset. "
We were travelling about 12km form where he lives!!!!

Eventually got to Barrington Court itself which of course was up a 4 mile lane.

Amazing place. (Getting sick of that description yet?)

Built as a great Tudor House built in thr 15502 with a stable block built in 1675. As these it was in very poor state by 1775 and went down from there as a tenanted farm.

Chickens in the Great Hall, cider barrels stored in the main room and hay in master bedroom, rain and owls on the top floor.

The newly formed National Trust were asked if the wanted it and they said yes in 1907.

Then they got the builders report and the roof repair was more that their total assets.

Enter Colonel Lyle.

In 1917 he offerd to lease it for 99 years, pay 400 pound a year rent and undertake all repairs.
It appears we was a multimillion site and spent the equivalent of 5 million pounds on the project.
His problem was he collected architectural salvage particularly wood panelling and had ton as of the stuff in storage. A few present persons come to mind.
First he built a house to live in, then he converted stables, then he renovated the Tudor house.
Then he moved in with all his wall panelling.

Glad he took it on.

In 1991 his grandson called it a day and handed it all back to the Trust.Read more

Enormous Elizabethan house.
I know you are surprised.
Built by a wool merchant and lawyer who was also an MP and a judge. We are sure he wasn’t status conscious.
Was involved in the trials of Sir Walter Raleigh and the Guy Fawkes plotters. Knighted for his efforts.
Very good guide around the property and a lot of the place makes more sense.
150 years after the place was built the local road had changed so they bought the front from a local manor and stuck on the back to create a new front door!!!!Read more

Literally 150 yds from where we were staying was one of the best intact examples of monastic buildings in England.

Founed in 1198 with 12 Cistercian monks it was always a tier 2 Abbey and just plugged along for 350 years.
The official name of the abbey was Vallis Florida, (Latin: 'Flowering Valley') but throughout its history it was generally known as Cleeve after the nearby village. Isn’t it always the same.
In addition to various landholdings with produced rent they held the Right of Wreck, which meant they could claim shipwrecks washed up on the shore of their lands. What a bonus.

Eventually got the chop with the Dissolution and the church was pulled down with the rest of the buildings used as a farm for 400 years or so. This actually saved it in many ways. Eventually our friends from Dunster Castle gave it to the state in lieu of death duties in 1951 and English Heritage ended up with it in 1988.

Unusual for English Heritage as there are roves and rooms and something to walk through.

We had the place to ourselves. The British are not early starters we have decided, especially on a Staurday.Read more

We did leave Hestercombe House on the off chance that the roads would be better.

Lost that bet.

8 miles of lane, 3 horses, one white van and we didn’t have to back up once.

Who is the patron saint of back lanes?

Duster Castle was worth the drive.

There has been a Castle is on the site since Saxon times, then the Normans, then the rest.

During the English Civil War the castle declared for Parliament and got besieged by Royalists then declared for the King and got besieged by Parliamentarians.

The second time they surrendered and the outer defensive walls were pulled down.
Luckily for us just before the boys stated on the rest orders came to stop so there is quite a bit left over. Quite a bit.

It had the usual 18th century makeover and quite a few changes inside and out. Even got a modern kitchen in the 1950s.

Following the death of Alexander Luttrell in 1944, the family was unable to afford the death duties on his estate. The castle and surrounding lands an dvillages were sold off to a property firm, the family continuing to live in the castle as tenants. The Luttrells bought back the castle in 1954, but in 1976 Colonel Walter Luttrell gave Dunster Castle and most of its contents to the National Trust. It is a Grade I listed building and scheduled monument. (Wikipedia).

This could all have been avoided if Alexander had handed the estate to his son John earlier but it appears he believed in “paying his way” so stiffed him with the taxes.

We are now thinking of doing something similar with our extensive estates.